Take-up mechanism for textile machines



March 10, 1942- .H. WEISLER ET AL 2,275,874

TAKE-UP MECHANISM FOR TEXTILE MACHTNES Filed Sept 4, 1941 m "P 11 Q I /0 I /6 19 J i ATTORNEYS Patented Mar; 10, 1942 TAKE-UP MECHANISM MAC This invention relates to textile machines and particularly to the fabric take-up device of such machines. The invention aims to provide certain improvements in the driving mechanism for the take-up roll of textile machines.

The fabric produced on textile machines is commonly wound, as produced, on a take-up roll. Various devices are employed for driving the take-up roll at a speed correlated to the speed of production of the fabric. For example, the

take-up roll in certain tricot knitting machines is operatively connected to a worm gear and, co-

operating driving worm. A reciprocable ele- FOB. TEXTILE HINES Herman L. -Weisler, Petersburg, and John H; Pope, Hopewell, Va., assignors to Tubize Chatillon Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application September 4, 1941, Serial No. 409,482

4 Claims. (01.,66-149) initial position after each driving stroke. The

entire take-up assembly is free-swinging, changing its angle as the amount of fabricon the takeup roll increases, and includes means for regulating the travel of the slide bar to compensate for the gradual increase in diameter of the roll ment, embodied in the machine, imparts on its forward movement an intermittent driving stroke to the worm by means of a clutch'designed to permit backward movement of the reciproca-.

ble element without moving the worm. Our actual experience with such machines has demonstrated that after a comparatively short period of use the clutch face becomes slightly grooved by the clutch rollers so that these parts require constant polishing and attention, and since the condition becomes progressively worse, these parts have to be frequently replaced.

Ourpresent invention aims particularly to provide an improved drive for the take-up roll the worm on a rotatable shaft adapted'to be rotated in only one direction by a pawl and ratchet operatively associated with a reciprocable slide bar embodied in the machine. These and other novei features of the invention will be best understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the improved take-up roll drive of the invention, and

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

The take-up mechanism of the tricot knitting machine, to which the invention is shown applied in the drawing, is operated by an actuating lever 5 contacting an eccentric cam 6 at its lower end and operatively engaging a reciprocable slide bar ,I at its upper end. As will be well understood by those skilled in the art, the oscillating lever-5 imparts an intermittent driving stroke to the reciprocable slide bar 1. A spring 8 directly conof fabric, but as these features constitute no part of our invention they are not shown on the draw- The fabric 9 being produced on the machine is wound on a take-up roll fixed on a rotatably mounted shaft II), A comparatively wide ratchet ll is also fixed to the shaft II). A series of sta gered pawls l2 cooperate with the ratchet II to prevent backsliding of the take-up roll and fabric thereon within a fraction of the distance of one ratchet tooth.

The shaft l0 is-adapted to be driven forwardly,

that is to wind the fabric a on the take-up roll,

by a worm-gear l3 operatively connected thereto.

A worm l4 fixed-on a rotatable shaft l5 meshes with the worm-gear 13. The worm l4 and wormgear l3 are preferably of the self-locking type so that the worm-gear 13 can rotate in only one direction. A ratchet I6 is fixed on the shaft 15. The slide bar I carries a pawl llwhich is pressed by a spring H3 in operative engagement with the teeth of the ratchet. As a safety measure, in the event the self-locking worm and worm-gear should fail to operate, a worm holding ratchet l9 (fixed on the shaft l5) and 00- operating pawls 20 are provided to assure movement of the worm in only the forward direction.

In the operation of the take-up mechanism embodying'the invention, the pawl 11 on the reciprocating slide bar 1 imparts an intermittent driving stroke to the ratchet IS. The spring 8 returns the slide bar to its initial position after each driving stroke, the pawl l1 slipping freely over the ratchet teeth during the backward movements of the slide bar. With each driving stroke of the ratchet [6, the, worm l4 imparts a corresp'onding driving stroke to the worm gear 13 and hence to the fabric take-up roll. Backsliding of the worm is prevented by'its self-locking engagement with the worm gear, and is 'additionally prevented by the ratchet and pawls [9-40. In case the worm and worm gear are not of I the self-locking type, the ratchet and pawls l9-2ll are necessary and not optional.

The invention provides a simple, effective, longwearingand inexpensive drive for the take-up roll. Contrasted with th heretofore customary drive for a tricot knitting machine, it reduces nected to the slide bar returns the latter to its the number of parts of the worm and its cooper-.

shaft l5 may-be made in two pieces keyed together, where such construction is desirable. The only parts subject to wear in the drive of the invention are the comparatively large ratchet l6 and cooperating pawl i1, and experience has demonstrated that infrequent replacement of these parts is required. Moreover, the drive of the invention is relatively inexpensive and .re-' quires no special skill in making and assembling, whereas the hereinbefore mentioned clutch drive is costlyto produce, and requires the services of skilled toolmakers.

We claim: I

1. In a textile machine having a take-up roll for fabric produced thereon, the combination with a worm gear operatively connected to said take-up roll, of a worm meshing with said worm gear, a rotatable shaft on which said worm is fixed, a ratchet fixed on said shaft, a reciprocable slide bar having a pawl cooperating with said ratchet, means for intermittently moving said slide bar in the direction to cause said pawl to impart a predetermined driving stroke-to said ratchet, and means for returning said slide bar to itsinitial position after each driving stroke.

2. In a textile machine having a take-up roll for fabric produced thereon, the combination with a worm gear operatively connected to said takeup roll, of'a worm-meshing with said worm gear, a rotatably mounted shaft on which said worm is fixed, a ratchet fixed on said shaft, a reciprocable slide bar having a pawl cooperating with said ratchet, means for intermittently moving said slide bar in the direction to cause said pawl to impart a predetermined driving stroke to said ratchet, a spring for retuming said slide bar to its initial position after each driving stroke, and a second ratchet fixed to said shaft and a pawl cooperating therewith for preventing backward movement of said worm during the return movement of said slide bar.

3. In a textile machine having a take-up roll for fabric produced thereon, the combination with a worm gear operatively connected to said take-up roll and a pawl and ratchet for preventing backsliding of the roll, of a worm meshing with said worm gear, a rotatable shaft on which said worm is fixed, a ratchet fixed on said shaft,

a reciprocable slide bar carrying a pawl cooperating with said ratchet, means for intermittently moving said slide bar in the direction to cause said pawl to impart a predetermined driving stroke to said ratchet, and a spring for returning said slide bar to its initial position after each driving stroke.

4. In a tricot knitting machine having a takeup roll for fabric produced thereon, the combination with a self-locking type of worm and worm gear operatively connected to said take-up roll, of a ratchet, a rotatably mounted shaft on which said worm and ratchet are fixed, a reciprocable slide bar having a spring-pressed pawl operatively engaging said ratchet, and means embodied in said machine for intermittently moving said slide bar in the direction to cause said pawl to impart a predetermined driving stroke to said ratchet, and a spring for returning said slide bar to its initial position after each driving stroke.

HERMAN L. WEISLER. JOHN H. POPE. 

